House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated on Friday that she views impeachment as a “divisive” issue, but partly defended newly elected Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-MI) Thursday evening remark that “We’re gonna go in there and impeach the motherfucker.”
Speaking with MSNBC host Joy Reid, Pelosi was adamant that she is not in the business of policing the language of her colleagues. Furthermore, she noted, the president himself has used far worse language.
“I probably have a generational reaction to [Tlaib’s comment],” Pelosi said in the MSNBC interview set to air Friday night. “I’m not in the censorship business,” she said. “I don’t like that language, I wouldn’t use that language, but I wouldn’t establish language standards for my colleagues.”
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Tlaib’s comments, the speaker added, were “nothing worse than the president has said.”
Asked about the concern that even appearing to pursue impeachment would invigorate the president’s core supporters, Pelosi replied that it “consolidates his base, but I don’t think they need much consolidation.”
“That is not the position of the House Democratic caucus,” Pelosi declared. “That’s freedom of speech of an individual member. As I say, generationally that would not be language I would use. But nonetheless, I don’t think we should make a big deal of it.”
Tlaib’s office doubled down on the comment on Friday morning saying that “Congresswoman Tlaib was elected to shake up Washington, not continue the status quo. Donald Trump is completely unfit to serve as President. The Congresswoman absolutely believes he needs to be impeached.”
